Apparatus for processing thread



W. F. KNEB'USCH Em 2,249,712

APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING THREAD Filed oct. 24,1958

July l5, 1941.

5 Sheets-Sheet l Snventors WALTER E KNEBUSCH AND ALDEN H. BURKHOLDER ln` By Lt' s A Gttorneg July 15, 194.. w. F. KNEBUscH ETAL 2,249,712

APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING THREAD l `Filed Oct. 24, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2all! f egg 1/ J BY l 4 /f' (Ittomeg Juy 15, 194i. w. F. KNEBUscH ETAL2,249,712 l APPARATUS RoR PROCESSING THREAD lFiled oct. 24, 195s 5sheets-sheet s Inventors WALTER E' KNEBUSCH AND ALBEN H. BURKHOLDER July15, 194. w. F. KNEBUscH ErAL 2,249,712

APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING THREAD Filed Oct. 24, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4Patented July 15, 1941 unimo states ,pasteur ,ori-ice APrARArUs FonPRooassINGmHREAD tilalter` F. Knebusch, Rocky "River, and Alden H.Burkholder, Cleveland, ;0hio, assignors to `Industrial yRayonCorporation, Cleveland, rohio, a corporation of-Delaware Application.October 24, 1938, Serial No. 236,722

6 Glaims.

which must be employed and the comparatively high cost of the treatingliquids. lEven theJc-ost of the Water used inthe manufacture of multiplefilament viscose artificial silk thread is an importanti-actor, not only,because of the large vquantities used for the several washingtreatmentsbut because it is often necessary to-treat the water in order to ,obtainYthe requisitefpur'ity and softness. Indeed, the cost of the vWateralone may in large measure determinethe commercial successor failure ofa given plant.

In the ordinary discontinuous.systemsoffmanufacturing multiple,lfilament viscose rartificialisilk thread; i. e., the pot-spinning ,andspoolspinning systems, .the thread is subjected to the action of theprocessing liquids While it is woundinthe originalspin cake or Ispoolpackage. That is, the A.thread is treated ,withzliquids ,while Wound inacompact package containingthousan'ds ;of yards of thread Wound layeruponlayer. Qi a given -amount ofl liquid applied to thethread packagavmostserves to process'the threadybut lit is known that, due to difficultiesof penetration of the processing liquid, all portionsof .thread in thepackage are not uniformly processed.

In continuous processing operations,.,on,the other hand, the thread iscontinuously but .temporarily stored on one or more thread-advancing,thread-storage devices, beingsubjected tothe action of processingliquids vWhile inthe form of a helix made up of a large numberof closelyspaced turns.

uAs compared with discontinuous systems, the advantages yofmanufacturing multiple filament-viscose artificial silk threadiby asystem involving the continuous processing of the threadare so great asto have served in the pastas an incentive for numerousattempts to deviseasuecessful continuous processing system. It has long been recognizedthat a continuous system .of manufacturing multiplefilament-viscoseartificial Asilk thread would possess `advantages overdiscontinuous systems in making possiblegreat savings in time and'labor, thisfor the-reason thatA the numerous processingtreatmentswhichyessing wessing liquids tends .to occur.

rmusi-loeapplied tothethread maylbeperfolmed `continuously on asinglemachine. A..QOntinuous manufacturing system vwould p ossess great ;'advant-ages asf regards ythoroughness anduniformity of, pr'ocessingbecause the thread Yis,subjectedto .the .processing -treatmentwhile`woundingI singlelayer and isnot processed, as in thegdiscontinuous Yprocesses, while Wound. in package form.

lanas, however, b eenfound that, systems in- ,.volving the ,continuous:processing of the` thread ;are often .less, economical, in; theiruseoLprocess- `ing liquids Y. than discontinuous systems. arises in partfrom Ithe ,fact ,that` in, continuous systems the .thread is processed,while wound ,This

ina singlelayer. Allpf theliquid, applied v,to the thread is notnsedin`theactual processing .of thethread; instead, partofthe 'liquidfruns olfthe thread-advancing, threadfstorage device and .part ,passes vbetween'the turnspf thread Other disadvantages have vbeen Vfound Ato A arisefrom the fact -that in some continuousprocsystems intermixing .of theproc- .The present invention, by. eliminating.- difficultems.'

While continuous processing systems make-.pos-

Y,silolemore uniform processing of the thread-than `do-discontinuousprocessing systems becauseA the thread is` processed while vstored in asingle layer, it is extremely important that predetermined constantamounts of. processing medium besupvplied over long periods of vtimetothe thread stored on each thread-advancing, thread-storage device;also, that if a large number ofV threads v`are processed, Y allcorresponding thread-advancing, thread-storage -devices'be supplied4withuproeessing medium-at identical rates in order to pre- Yeht the@occurrence of --thread-to-thread yvaria- ,tions in processing. Theimportance of such uniformity in the rateof supply of lprocessing mediajis emphasized Vloy the fact that the thread is -usually subjected'tothe processing mediaffor a matter of secon-ds, at themost a minute or.two,

and hence any change in the rate of supply of the processing media tothe thread will .bere- ;ected as a change inA thephysical orphysico-:chemical characteristics of the vfinished 1 thread. V4That .is, incontinuous processing operations, because-of the necessity of rapidlyprocessing the thread, there is no such factor of safety as in thediscontinuo-us process, wherein the thread is subjected to cachprocessing liquid for a period of several hours.

The present invention provides a cir-culation system which makes itpossible accurately to supply a predetermined amount of processingliquid at a constant rate of iiow to a single thread-advancing,thread-storage device or to a plurality of thread-advancing,thread-storage devices. In the latter case, the invention makes itpossible to supply all of the thread-advancing, .thread-storage deviceswith identical amounts of processing liquid at an equal rate of flow.According to the invention, moreover, intermingling of the variousprocessing liquids is prevented, whereby the possibility ofcontamination of the liquid is obviated.

For the purposes of illustration, the invention will be describedhereinafter in connection with the manufacture by a ycontinuous systemof mulf 'tiple filament viscose artificial silk thread on apparatusgenerally similar to that shown, de-

scribed, and claimed in copending -application Serial No. 7,114, filedFebruary i18, 1935, by Walter F. Knebus-ch and Alden H. Burkholder(Patent 2,225,642). It should, however, be understood vthat the presentinvention is not limited thereto,

but that in certain aspects it may be employed in the continuousprocessing of thread produced by other methods as, for example, fromcasein,cel-

` lulose acetate, cuprammonium cellulose solutions,

processing medium to the thread on the threadadvancing, thread-storagedevice being omitted and other parts being broken away for the sake ofclearness. Figure 2 is an end elevation c'orresponding generally toFigure 1, lbut on a larger scale, of a portion of the machine with partsbroken away more clearly to show the mechanism. Figure 3 is an elevationon the same scale as Figure 2 of one operating face of the machine,corresponding generally to the operating face on the right of Figure 1,parts being broken away for the sake of clearness.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the apparatus on the same scale as Figure 34and line 4-4 thereof showing processing liquid circulation apparatusembodying the present invention. Figure 5 is -a detail sectionalelevation from line 5-5 of Figures 3, 6 and '7 through athread-advancing reel typical of the thread-advancing, thread-storagedevices employed in the illustrated apparatus. Figure 6 is an endelevation of the reel of Figure 5 on the same scale and from the leftend 1 thereof. Figure 7 is a detail plan on a slightly smaller scalethan Figures 5 and 6 illustrating several of the thread-advancing reelsand associated apparatus shown in Figure 5, the covering of the gearhousing being omitted.

Figure 8 is a somewhat diagrammatic representation of the circulationapparatus illustrated in the above figures, said figure including onereel of a horizontal series of corresponding reels and sired processingtreatments.

amat/i2 its associated processing liquid circulating apparatus as viewedfrom the front of the continuous processing apparatus, parts beingbroken away for the sake of clearness. Figure 9 corresponds to asectional elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 8. Figure 10 is asomewhat diagrammatic representation, generally similar to Figure8,illustrating a modified type of circulating system embodying thepresent invention. Figure 11 is a sectional elevation of the apparatusshown in Figure 10, parts being broken away.

In the drawings, like reference characters refer to like partsthroughout.

In the apparatus shown in Figures l to 4, inclusive, the thread l isformed by extrusion of the viscoseinto the coagulating bath 2 through asuitable spinneret 3, passing therefrom through a guide 4 to athread-advancing reel of cantilever form, designated 5, from which itpasses to any suitable number of other like reels 5a to 5i upon whichareperformed any desired processing steps. The cantilever construction ofone of the reels is shown in detail in Figure 4 and will be describedmore in detail hereinafter. VThe thread is led from the last reel 5ithrough a suitable guide 6 to a collecting device such as cap-twister l.

The production of each multiple filament thread requires a completeseries of such threadadvancing reels in numbers sufficient to enable thedesired processing steps to be performed on the thread. However, a givenmachine may be built toprovide for the simultaneous production of amultiplicity of such threads. Thus each machine may include a pluralityof series arranged in such manner as to enable the parts thereof to beconveniently accessible for inspection, manipulation or control, as wellas to enable the plurality of such series to be driven from the samepower source.

In the illustrated machine, the reels are shown as arranged in aplurality of descending series on each of which the thread is subjectedto the de- Since the reels are of cantilever form; i. e., supported anddriven from one end only, and since the thread is, by

Y- the action of the reels, advanced axially thereof toward the free endthereof, they may be positioned, as shown, in stepped arrangement withthe receiving end of each reel immediately below the discharge end ofYthe next preceding reel.

The open ends of the reels,'constituting the discharge ends, arepresented to the operator. This arrangement provides advantages inconstruction of the processing apparatus as Well as advantages inpermitting access to the reels for manipulation of the thread,inspection, repairs,

Furthermore, it has been found desirable to position the reels inadjacent series so that corresponding reels are in correspondingpositions. Thus the reels are in effect disposed in a plurality ofhorizontal series extending longitudinally of the machine. Thisdisposition of the reels in what .may be vregarded as a plurality oflongitudinal series results in simplification of the construction of theprocessing medium supply and removal systems as well as advantages indriving the thread-storage reels, as Will be hereinafter explained morein detail.

Furthermore, the machinemay, as shown in l YFigure 1, be double-sided,h'aving a plurality of thread-storage devices disposed in an inclined"bank on each` side ofthe machine.

upper platforms 8 and 9V carried by cross beams t and I lsupported blycorner posts l2,the platforms 8; land 8 being connected bydiagonaluprights I3' and I4; The drive mechanismforthe reels may have as asource of power a drive motor l-iwhich may be mounted at one end of themachine, as shown in Figure 3. The shaft of such motor actuates asuitable speed reducing device |9- operating a cross shaft 20 providedat its opposite ends with bevel gears 2l which mesh with bevel gears 22on diagonal shaf-ts 23', of which one may be provided on the left sideand one on the rightsideiof' the machine as shown in Figure 1.

Diagonal shafts 23 are in the illustrated) embodiment of the inventionprovided aty various levels with take-off drives for the reels 5a. Iand5i, inclusive. The driving connections tothe several reels may, ifdesired, include any suitable form of change speed mechanism. Forconvenience, the shafts 23 and the drive connections therefrom to theseveralreels may be located at one end of the machine, as shown inFigures 2 and 3.

As the drive connection from the primary drive shaft 23 to each of thereels 5a to 5i is the same, description of one will suffice forall;Thus, for the drive to each of the reels 5a.y and 5i, drive shaft 2-3drives short shaft 62- (Figures 2 and 3) through suitable gearscontained in the housing 62a. f Shaft 62 drives shaft 6l throughsuitable change speed mechanism indicated generally as 6,6, said shaftSl'extending horizontally and longitudinally along the operating face ofthe machine and being provided with suitable driving means for thecorresponding horizontal or longitudinal series of reels disposed alongthe shaft.

The means for driving each reel from said shaft 6l isshown to betteradvantage in Figures 5 and '7'. As shown, the driving means may beenclosed in a longitudinally extending housing 'I6 which may also serveas alubricant reservoir for the parts therein and which may be providedwith a removable cover 'Il'. Drive shaft 61 extends longitudinally ofthe housing, its outwardly projectinglends being connected by couplingsl5 (Figure 3) to like ends ofv neighboring shaft sections. The shafts'l2 for the reels are journalled in opposite walls of said housing,crossing said drive shaft 61';

In the apparatus shown, each reel in the horizontal series isk mountedon one face of the housing 'it' and is driven from secondary drive shaft6l by a spiral gear 'lllengaging a spiral gear 'H rotatably mounted onreel drive shaft '12.V Spiral gear 'H is provided with a clutch member'13a cooperating with a slidable clutch member 13b splined to the shaft12 actuated by a controlling bell crank lever 14. members in engagement,so that the reel shaft 12 may be rotated. Each reel may thus be pro,-vided with its individual clutch and the levers 14 for alllreels may beindividually operated; however, forconvenience the levers 1 4 for reels511I to' 5i, of a vertical series may be connected together so that allof the reels in one vertical series may be startedV and stoppedsimultaneously.

The f thread-advancing, thread-storage devices of the instant apparatustake the form of a reel of the type shown in Figures 5 and 6, which isof the same general formand'operates in the same manner as the reelshown, described, and claimed in a prior application entitled Windingreel for spinning machine, Serial No. 652,089, filed J anuary 16; 1933,by Walter F. Knebusch (Patent 2,210,914). The reel shown is, however,of'canti- Figure 5 shows the clutch lfro leverform in the sense` thatthe supports for said reel areeonnected to it at one 'endl only, leavingthe thread-supporting bars free and open at the other# end ofthe reel.Therefore, by rotating the reel in vthe proper direction toA cause the`vturns of thread to travel from its driven end to its 'free end,thetaskof transferring thethread from reel to reelA is materiallysimplified due to theabsence of a shaft extension and consequent ease ofrnani-pulationr ofthe thread bythe operator.

The typical .form of reel shown-inthese figures includes tworigid,generally cylindrical: members-` respectively designated 8U and 8|.Member Si! maybetermed the concentric member because it` is concentricwith, xed to, and rotates with thereel shaft 112; Member" 8l) includes abody portion of generally cylindrical form with its peripheryslottedv'toform a series-'of alternating` bars 82- and recesses 83, thebody portion being mounted upon al sleeve 84- keyedto the shaft l2- andheld in placev thereon by a nut 85 threaded upon the end ofv saidshaft.The other member 81: of the reel may becalledthe eccentric member,because whil'eit is generally of cylindrical form it is mounted with itsaxis laterally offset slightly fromand disposed askew or inclinedtotheaxis ofthe shaft l2, The members I as shown, comprises ahead formed ofinner and outerring-stil` and $8-, the former ofwhich has peripheralslots to receivev the bars 89. The barsare-clampedbetween the rings 8l#and 881, which are held# together by screws 81a. Inner ring 8-1 ismounted on-a sleeve 90 journalled to rotate upon. a` supporting member9|- which surrounds shaft' 'HlA and isspaced therefrom. Means areprovided forsupportingV meinber- 9|- wi-thitsy axis slightly` offsetlaterally from. and inclined with relationU tothe axis of shaftv 12.

RotationV of theV drive shaft- 12 causes concentric member Biirxedthereto lto rotate, whereupon contact offbarmembers 8-2 of" concentricmember with bar mem-bers 89 of eccentricy member 8-'i causes saideccentric member to rotate. The thread is thuscausedtowind on the reel,the degree of the inclination ofl the reelmembers with respect to eachother determining the lead or pitchof the turns of'y thread woundv ingenerally helical-form upon the reel and progressively` advancedl alongit. With a reeli ofthis general type, any desired lengthv of thread-Within reasonable limits may thus be continuously but temporarily storedin a plurality of advancing turns.

' Reels ofthe form shown in-Figures and 6 may be employedjfor each ofthe reels 5A to-5h, inclusive, Figure 1, since itf may be desirable tolapply Wety processing treatments to the thread while storedr on thesereels. However, it-may be desired to dry the thread onv the reel 5ibefore it is collected, as by cap-twister 1", in which ycase the reel5i, while ofthe same generalL type and operating in the same generalmanner asy the others, may beY adapted' to supplyu dryingmedium` to thethread stored on the reelV from the interior of the reel. Such a reelisdescribed in detailvin saidpror application Serial No. 7,114.

Each descendingV series of reels is identified with one ofthecapftwisters 'l shown as-the collecting means in the illustratedAapparatus. A plurality of said cap-twisters 1 is driven by the samepower source. The illustrated apparatus is provided with a long drum H9vconnected by belts |20 to the whirlsl supporting'the bobbins ofthetwisters, belts L20 being providedwith belttighteners I2Ua. Drum H9 isdriven by a belt |21| actuated from the drive shaft of the speed reduc.'ing mechanism I9which is driven by motor I8.

For reciprocating the twister bobbins, a speed reducing device |22 isprovided driven by a belt |23 from 4a pulley on shaft 2,0. The shaft |24of said `speed reducing device is provided with a cam |25 actuating alever |26 pivoted on the frame Yat the point |21 and connected bytension members |28 to lifting rods |29 slidable vertically in frameguides |30 and connected by beams |3| rotatably carrying the bobbins,the vertically moving parts ,being at least partly counterbalanced by,weights |32. The function of drums ||9 and cams |25v is to rapidlyrotate and vertically reciprocate the bobbins of the severalcaptwisters, so that thethread is twistedand Wound in the desired formthereon.

Means are provided forsubjecting the thread on one or more of the reelsa to 5h to suitable wet lprocessing operations; to wit, means disposedabove each of said reels for supplying to said reel processing liquid inthe form of a spray or one or more small streams, a trough disposedbeneath each of said reels for collecting the processing liquid as itdrains from the reel, and apparatus for recirulating the liquid. Byreference to Figures 2, 3 and 7, it can be seen that each of saidtroughs |08 may be suitably formed to collect the liquid and preventsplashing thereof and may be provided with a re-entrant portion II8below each reel to allow travel of the thread from an upper reel to alower reel. Becauseof the arrangement of the reels in a plurality ofhorizontal or longitudinally extending series, it is possible to haveeach trough I serve several corresponding reels in adjacent processingseries.

Likewise, the liquid distributing system may serve corresponding reelsin adjacent series. In the illustrated embodiment, a suitable reagentdistributor ||5 is positioned above each reel on which processing liquidis applied to the thread, the reagent distributor ||5 being suppliedfrom a lcommon supply conduit ||3 extending longitudinally of themachine and serving the reagent distributors for the corresponding reelsin a horizontal series. n

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 8 and 9,each horizontal series of corresponding reels on whichA processingliquid is to be applied to the thread is supplied with processing liquidthrough a supply conduit |31. The latter communicates with a constanthead supply box |38 associated with said series. A valve |39 may beprovided in said supply conduit |31 to control the amount of liquidpassing to the supply box |38. Supply box |38 communicates with thehorizontally extending conduit I I3 which supplies the reagentdistributors I I5 for said horizontal series of reels from tubes II4.

The level of processing liquid in the supply box |38 is maintained at apredetermined height above above the orices from which the liquiddischarges to the reels from said conduit |I3 by suitable overflow meansassociated with said supply box. In the illustrated apparatus, supplybox |38 is provided with an extendedportion |4| having connected theretoan overflow pipe |42. Processing liquid which is supplied to saidconstant head supply box |38 in excess of the amount which passes to thereagent distributors supplied from said supply box |38 overflows throughsaid overflow pipe |42, thus maintaining a constant level of liquid insaid supply box.

The oriiicesl in tubes ||4 through which the processing liquid leavesthe conduit I|3 to pass ,shutting down of the apparatus.

to the reels of the horizontal series are preferrably allof the samesize and disposed substantially on the same level, so that all reels insaid horizontal lseries are supplied with substantially identicalamounts of processing liquid. Due to the relatively low rate of flow ofthe processing liquid through the conduit ||3 and the relatively largediameter of the supply conduit ||3 as compared with the size of saidorices, very little, if any, loss of pressure results from one end ofconduit- ||3 to the other. Y

The collecting troughs |98 for each horizontal series of reels extend,as has been explained, under a plurality of reels in said horizontalseries, adjacent troughs being connected together. Therefore, all of theliquid which has been supplied from the conduit ||3 to a horizontalseries of reels may be collected in the troughs |08 below the reels andpassed through the corresponding conduit |43 which communicates withtheoveriiow conduit |42. The combined liquid may then pass, asdiagrammaticallyshown in Figure 8, to one or more supply tanks |44. Fromsaid supply tanks the processing liquid may be pumped, as by pumps |45,back up to the constant head supply box |38 through conduit |31.

It is desirable to provide a plurality of said supply tanks and pumps,as shown, so that factors causing one of said supply tanks or pumps tobe taken out of commission will not cause In ordinary operation, indeed,it is desirable to use at least one of said supply tanksand pumps as astandby unit. Suitable valves |46 and |41 may be provided to put in ortake out certain tanks from the system. Similarly, valves |48 may beprovided to make it possible to cut out each of the pumps or to controlthe amount of liquid iiowing therethrough. A direct connection |49 tothe sewer from each tank |44 may also be provided, as that controlled byvalve |50 in the apparatus shown, to make possible flushing of the tanks|44 or discharging of the spent liquid therefrom to the sewer.

Preferably the amount of processing liquid supplied to constant headsupply box |38 is lonly slightly greater than the amount which passestherefrom to the reagent distributors through conduit II3. Only a smallamount of overflowing takes place; in fact, only sufficient to maintainthe level of liquid in the constant head supply box |38 constant. Theamount of liquid flowing into container |38 may be controlled by valve|39.

The pumps |45 are preferably of the impositive delivery type, so thatcontrolling of the amount .of liquid owing therethrough by adjustment ofthe valve |39 will not cause diiiiculties due to excessive pressures.Desired make-up additions may be made from time to time or continuouslyto tanks |44, in 'which tanks tests may also be made from time to timeto determine the strength of the solution. In the apparatus of Figures 8and 9, inlet pipe |5I, controlled by valve |52, is provided for makingpossible the addition of liquid to the system. Preferably, tanks |44 andpumps |45 are located below the floor on which the machine isr mounted.For this reason, the conduits |31 and |42 in Figures 3 and 4 are shownas extending only to the floor.

In the modification shown in Figures 10 and 1l, processing liquid issupplied from tanks |44a by means of pumps |450, and conduit |31a. Valve|39a is provided in said conduit to control the quantity of liquidflowing therethrough. As

in the preceding embodiment' of the invention;4

conduite |3'Ia is connected toa container |38a; However, conduit I3'Iais also connectedtolongitudinally extending conduit 3 from which thereels are supplied,- :as 'through conduit I 53. Thus partofztherliquid.supplied through conduit |3Ia passes into-container|38aand part into conduit |.|-31; The.- Vl connection between conduit|53l and conduit |31 isnot absolutelynecessary, but isdesirable inproviding'. for a smoother flow of liquid;

Fromcontainer |38a'theliquid overflows from extended lportion I4 I ofisaid-.container into' conduit'` |42a,. being. combined with thevliquidco1- lected in trough |08-\,. which. collected liquid *passes throughconduit III3a.A to conduit |42a.-

The`combinedliquid thenrpasses back to tanks I'Ma. Valves Mafand Mila,may be provided,- as

shown; Atomakeit'possible to cut out any of tanks I 44a; .while valvesHI8-a: may` be provided to make it' possible'torcutoutsoneor more of thepumps I-45af or to*` controlr the liquid` flow therethrough.

Similarly',v a connection HQ60-controlled by valve I'5U`a; may-besuppliedfto provide for discharging liquid'from any: of-` thetanks IMIa;to the sewer,

while -pipe Ilaandvalve I'2a maybe provided.

tbmake 'possiblef the addition of liquid.

In"` the.` operationi of the" apparatus4 shown inY Figures-'10 andrll;liquid is suppliedthroughl conduit-.ISFIafinan amount inexcessr` of theamount which iiowsY throughI conduit II3` to. theY reagent by the levelof liquidin container I 38; from whichA conduit |I3 thel processingliquid' isf discharged ontothe reels;

Preferably, as yin'- the preceding embodiment4 of the' inventiomthe"oric'esfalong the-length of' conduit I'I3 are: ottlie'samesize andsubstantially on' the.' same-level, .soz that all corresponding reelsirrthe` horizontal serie'sassociatedwith the' con-r tainer.V |38 fmaybe.V supplied with substantially; if.' notwh'olly, identical quantitiesAof liquidiiowing'at' constant rates; If, for; instance', a' momentarilygreaterl quantity of' liquidn should beV supplied through conduitflla;such excessamount passes into container |38. andr down through overflowconduit I'li'Za; ratherthaniinto conduit I3; A constant pressure -isthus maintainedon the processing liquid' distributors'. in thisembodiment of vthe invention; i

Inl thev emb'odimentof the: invention shown in Figures 3, 4l; Band" 9,the constantheadsupply boxes aand 'pipingfth'erefor for: the variousprocessing liquids are disposed at one end'only offthe apparatus. Asshown, they are mounted at the end of the apparatus-opposite the driveend, since advantages in construction are thereby provided, The constanthead supply boxes are disposed in stepped arrangement correspondinggenerally to the stepped arrangement of the reels with which they areassociated and are mounted on an inclined beam |54 which is spaced fromand connected to the frame of the apparatus. However, in the illustratedapparatus, each bank of reels on the apparatus is provided with its owncirculating system, a space being lett between the piping for theopposite banks.' This space'per-` mits accesstotheinterior of theapparatus from the liquidsupplyendfofv-theapparatus;

It iS. apparent that circulation apparatus embodyingY the arrangement ofFiguresv 10 and 11 canV be readily constructed with itscontainersr |38.-and y processing liquid supplyA and drain. con-- duits |3-Ia and |4211in an arrangement gener-- ally'- similarfto-thatof the constantheadsupply boxes ISS-and conduits |31'and |152 ofthe other embodimentof: the invention.

Each of the forms or apparatus illustrated as embodyingy the inventionfthus makes it possible to-maintain a constant predetermined pressure onYthe processingI liquid distributing system of each horizontal. seriesofreels on which liquid isT applied .tothe thread. Identical constantpressuresmay thusvbe mainta-inedy on all `discharge orifices from which'processing liquid' is supplied to allfreelsfinaI horizontal series; sothat identical amounts of processing liquid may besupplied to suchreels` at constant rates/of ow. Extremely uniform processing of thethread isv therefore made possible because the constant rate ofow ofeach-processing liquidinsures that all portions civ the same"v threadare subjected toidentical treatments and because all threads may'besub-y jectedf to. identical quantities of each processingliquid.`

Constant pressure ismaintained in' each oft-he illustrated embodimentsbymaintaining af constant level'` of liquid at-afpredeterminedlieight,overow-'meansbeing employed toinsure that the level of4 liquid is'constant;

applied-to the reels and' collectedis-combined and recirculatedbackto'process more threadl- 'Il'hus excellentv economyfin theconsumption of process'-v ing liquids is provided by the presentinvention; since the liquids may be re-used several times. Moreover7since the variousprocessing liquidsvare appliedto Athe threadon-difer'entreelsand since each processing liquid may circulatethroughanindividua-Lsystem, intermingling; and'hence contamination, of the"diierent processing liquids may be prevented;4

It A is apparent that various modications may be 'made' in` the"illustrated embodimentand that theinvention'may'be `applied to otheruses than `that in connection Withl which ithas lbeen described abovewithout'- departing from thespirit of vention. cover;` by suitableexpression in' the appended' claims; Whateverffeatures ofz patentablenoveltythe: invention: In the appended claims the termthreadfis'intended'tov mean, besides per se, all

other materials capable' of being' handledv and processedf by; meansvembodying the` present in- It` is intended that the patent shall resideinir the invention. What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus i'orf the continuous processing of thread 'comprising aplurality of series of threadstorage devices-each of which `seriesprocesses a single thread; means for applying processing liquidassociated with' each thread-storage devicevon which processingfliquidis to be applied to' In each case; theV overiiowing liquid and theliquid whichl has been a predetermined height above said processingliquid applying means over which surface the excess processing liquidiiows, the amount of liquid ilowing thereover being independent of thepresence of thread on said thread-storage device; means for collectingthe processing liquid which has been applied to said set ofcorresponding thread-storage devices; and means for combining saidcollected processing liquid with the processing liquid which overflowssaid surface and passing said combined processing liquid to theinst-mentioned conduit for one of said sets of correspondingthread-storage devices.

2. Apparatus for the continuous processing of thread comprising athread-advancing, threadstorage device which continuously buttemporarily stores the thread in a plurality of spaced, generallyhelical turns; means for applying processing liquid to the thread whileit is stored on said thread-advancing, thread-storage device; a

conduit connected to said processing liquid ap plying means adapted todirect upward an amount of processing liquid in excess of the amountwhich passes to said processing liquid applying means; a second conduitconnected to said first-mentioned conduit conducting processing liquidto a surface portioned at a predetermined height above said processingliquid applying means over which surface the excess processing liquidiiows, the amount of liquid flowing thereover being independent of thepresence of thread on said thread-advancing, thread-storage device;means for collecting the processing liquid which is applied to saidthread-advancing, thread-storage device; and means for combining saidcollected processing liquid and the processing liquid which overflowssaid surface and passing the combined processing liquid to saidrstmentioned conduit.

3. Apparatus for the continuous processing of thread comprising aplurality of descending series of thread-advancing, thread-storagedevices each of which series processes a single thread, said seriesbeing disposed adjacent each other in the form of a longitudinallyextending bank; means for applying processing liquid associated witheach of a plurality of thread-advancing, thread-storage devices in eachseries; supply means disposed in stacked relation at one end of saidbank for supplying processing liquid at a constant pressure to theprocessing liquid applying means for each set of correspondingthread-advancing, thread-storage devices of a plurality of series, eachof said supply'means including means directing upward an amount ofprocessing liquid in excess of the amount which passes to saidprocessing liquid applying means and a surface positioned at apredetermined height above said processing liquid applying means andassociated with said processing liquid directing means over whichsurface the excess processing liquid flows; means for collecting theprocessing liquid which has been applied to said correspondingthread-advancing, thread-storage devices; means for combining saidcollected processing liquid with the processing liquid which overflowssaid surface; and means ior recirculating the combined processing liquidto said supply means.

4. Apparatus for the continuous processing of thread comprising aplurality of descending series of thread-advancing, thread-storagedevices each of which series processes a single thread, said seriesbeing disposed in the form of a longitudinally extending bank; acontainer from which processing liquid is supplied to each set ofcorresponding thread-advancing, threadstorage devices in said pluralityof series, said container being provided with overflow means formaintaining a predetermined levell of processing liquid in saidcontainer; means for supplying processing liquid to said container inexcess of the amount which is Asupplied to said thread-advancing,thread-storage device, said supply means communicating with saidcontainer below the surface of the liquid in said container; means formounting said containers and supply means at one end of said bank, thecontainersl being disposed in stacked relation; means for collecting theprocessing liquid which is supplied to each set of saidthread-advancing, threadstorage devices; means for combining saidcollected processing liquid and the processing liquid which overflowsfrom the corresponding container; and means for passing said combinedprocessing liquid to the container for one of said sets of correspondingthread-advancing, threadstorage devices.

5. Apparatus of the character described in claim 4 in which saidlast-mentioned means passes the combined processing liquid to thecontainer in which it originated.

6. Apparatus for the continuous processing of thread comprising a bankof thread-advancing, thread-storage devices which includes at least onedescending series of such devices adapted to process at least onethread; means for applying processing liquid to the thread storedthereon associated with each of a plurality of threadadvancing,thread-storage devices in said series; supply means disposed in stackedrelation at one end of the bank for supplying processing liquid ataconstant pressure to each of said processing liquid applying means,each of said supply means including means directing upward `an amount ofprocessing liquid in excess of the amount which passes to saidprocessing liquid applying means and a surface positioned at apredetermined height above said processingv liquid applying means andassociated with said processing liquid directing means over whichsurface the excess processing liquid flows; means for collecting theprocessing liquid which has been applied to each thread-advancing,thread-storage device; means for combining the collected processingliquid with the processing liquid which overflows said surface; andmeans for passing the combined processing liquid to one of saidprocessing liquid supplying means.

WALTER F. KNEBUSCH. ALDEN H. BURKHOLDER.

